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GENERALLY ACCEPTED
AUDITING STANDARDS
Prepared for
Jim Nutty
by
Rob Lewis
April 10, 1996
Generally Accepted Auditing Standards are those guidelines which auditors must adhere to
while conducting an audit of a company's or government entity's financial statements. It
must also be stated in the audit report that the audit was conducted following Generally
Accepted Auditing Standards. This has been required since 1941 after the investigation of
a large drug company, McKesson & Robbins, Inc., which had had funds embezzled by its
president and his three brothers. Neither the internal controls or the independent
auditors detected the embezzlement. Generally Accepted Auditing Standards are divided into
three main areas: 1) General Standards, 2) Standards of Fieldwork, and 3) Standards of
Reporting. Each area contains three or four specific standards.
General Standards
There are three general standards. They deal with technical training and proficiency,
independence, and due professional care. To have technical training and proficiency means
you have the proper educational background. This is demonstrated by passing a
comprehensive examination. Independence is the most important attribute of an auditor. An
auditor must remain independent of the client at all times and avoid all situations that
may jeopardize his independence. Due professional care means working carefully and being
willing to take responsibility for the accuracy of your work.
Standards of Field Work
There are three standards of field work. They address proper planning and supervision,
examination and evaluation of internal controls, and collecting sufficient and competent
evidence. An auditor must adequately plan his audit in advance and be familiar with the
business and industry of his client. He should test the internal control system of the
client, especially those controls on which he plans to rely during the audit. He should
obtain the most reliable evidence available and select the best procedures to obtain that
evidence.
Standards of Reporting
There are four standards of reporting. They are concerned with whether the financial
statements are presented in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principals
(GAAP), consistency, informative disclosures, and an expression of opinion on the financial
statements that have been audited. The audit report must explicitly state whether the
financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP and whether or not these
principles have been applied consistently from one year to the next. Unless stated
otherwise, it should be assumed that the informative disclosures stated in the financial
statements are adequate. Any deficiencies in this area should be specifically stated in
the audit report. Footnotes must contain all the relevant information needed to be able to
properly interpret the financial statements. Finally, the auditor must express an opinion
on the financial statements. The auditor should issue either an unqualified, qualified,
adverse, or disclaimer of opinion. The basic format for each of these opinions is pretty
much pre-established. In a qualified or adverse opinion, an additional paragraph should be
added for each problem found within the financial statements. A disclaimer of opinion
should be issued any time an auditors independence is violated or if he is unable to
complete the entire audit for some reason.
Conclusion
Each of the standards carry equal weight and should be followed while conducting any audit
whether it is a private business or a governmental entity. Depending on the specific
audit, there may be other standards which also apply.
SOURCES
Biar, B., and Grinaker, R. (1965). Auditing: The Examination of Financial Statements.
Homewood: Richard D. Irwin, Inc. Carmichael, D., Lilien, S., & Mellman, M. (1991).
Accountants Handbook (7th Edition). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Robertson, J.(1996).
Auditing (8th Edition). Chicago: Irwin.